Save the Big Buddy Program

Since 1989, The Big Buddy Program has worked with homeless children to ease the devastating effects of homelessness on children. This program pairs a Queens college student with a homeless child to serve as a mentor providing stability, consistency and support. Every Saturday the child and their mentor spend a planned outing together. In addition, the children spend multiple group sessions focusing on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) at the Hall of Science, The American Museum of Natural History and the New York Aquarium.

Above all, this program allows children to see the world outside of these homeless shelters. As college students we serve as role models, teaching these children the importance of education and where hard work can get you.

Queens College has decided to no longer provide the support necessary to keep the program running. Queens College students are issued 3 credits per semester to take the child out each Saturday from 9 a.m., to 4p.m., create a scrapbook with the child, weekly journals and writing assignments, as well as 3 Wednesday lectures conducted by professors, organizations such as The Coalition for The Homeless, and even librarians educating us on the devastating impacts of homelessness and how we can make a difference as big buddies.

Unfortunately, the department that issues the credit feels this program is not of academic rigor to college students. We feel the complete opposite. Mentoring a homeless child helps us understand homelessness from first hand. It is beyond shameful for the college to cancel a program that is so beneficial to homeless children.

This program was cancelled without any department understanding or witnessing the impact of this program on the children. We were not even allowed one last semester to continue the program.

Please sign and and share this petition to help us fight to continue this program!